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Ghulam Azam was the mentor
FROM PAGE 20
She said this when defence counsel Kafil Uddin Chowdhury asked her if she knew that Ghulam Azam was not officially the chief of the Shanti Committee, the Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams.
The defence then requested the tribunal not to record part of the reply where Ghulam Azam was compared to Hitler. But the tribunal refused to expunge it.
Some defence lawyers then whispered to Kafil to go for expunging the question and the answer altogether. He did.
The tribunal refused to do that too. The tribunal recorded the reply as the witness' opinion.
Kafil then made a suggestion that Sultana Kamal had given the strange and intentional reply as Gen Tikka Khan was chief martial law administrator of East Pakistan and Gen Yahya Khan was president of Pakistan in 1971. And both were similar to Hitler in terms of power while Ghulam Azam was not so powerful.
“It's not true," replied Sultana.
After lunch, veteran defence lawyer Mizanul Islam told Sultana that all books on the Liberation War compared Gen Tikka Khan and Gen Yahya Khan rather than Ghulam Azam with Hitler.
“Today you have distorted history by comparing Ghulam Azam with Hitler,” he said.
“It's not true. I add him [Ghulam Azam] to them,” Sultana said.
Hitler's supremacist and racially motivated policies resulted in the systematic murder of 11 million people, including an estimated six million Jews, during World War II.
At least three million Bangalees were killed during
the Liberation War.
During her testimony on September 10, Sultana had said the Shanti Committee, the Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams (auxiliary forces of the Pakistan occupation army) set fire to houses, looted houses and killed many people. The auxiliary forces also abducted many women and took them to army camps and bunkers.
In reply to two questions, Sultana said it was not true that the high-ups of the Pakistani army did not give any statement praising Ghulam Azam.
She submitted such statements to the investigation officer, she said.
In her reply to a question she said that she had read “Witness to Surrender”, written Brig Gen Siddiq Salik, who was public relations officer of the east zone of the Pakistani army.
Mizanul said Siddiq Salik did not mention anything about politicians of East Pakistan being involved in military activities.
Sultana Kamal said he did not admit it in his book but it is his own opinion.
Later, Mizanul asked the witness whether she knew that only civilian Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was with Gen Yahya Khan and Gen Tikka Khan in the planning of Operation Searchlight, the mayhem on the night ofMarch25,1971.
“It's true,” said Sultana and sought permission of the tribunal to add more to her reply.
Mentioning her previous answer regarding the involvement of civilians in military decisions, she said it seemed that nonmilitary people were involved at that time.
Earlier, counsel Kafil asked Sultana whether she knew that at the declaration of the Shanti Committee as an organisation it was said “this committee is formed to create normal environment in the daily life of citizens
and to eliminate unnecessary and baseless concerns from people's minds”.
She said, “It's true. But by saying 'unnecessary and baseless' at a time when people were being killed and uprooted, and houses were being burnt, they were trying to hide their guilt... ”
“You have said this just because of your political position and hatred for Ghulam Azam?” said Kafil Uddin.
“It is not true,” she replied.
Mizanul after lunch break asked whether Sultana had handed over any statement of Ghulam Azam where he mentioned freedom fighters as miscreants.
“I submitted it to the investigation officer,” she replied.
Sultana gave her testimony against Ghulam Azam on September 10.
At one point of her deposition she said the Pakistani army opened fire from a helicopter on locals in a marketplace in Barisal. As the people ran to the nearby river to save their lives, the Pakistani army opened fire from a launch.
Mentioning the incident, Mizanul asked the witness whether she could mention the date and name of any victim.
“Abdul Malek Sardar, whom I called uncle, was killed in that attack and it was May 10,” said Sultana.
The defence concluded the cross-examination of the witness by saying that even though Ghulam Azam believed in the integrity of Pakistan, his role during the Liberation War was simply political.
“It's not true,” Sultana said.
Ghulam Azam is facing five charges of crime against humanity committed during the Liberation War.
The proceedings of the case were adjourned until today.